DIY Made Easy: Smart Hacks to Customize Your Home with IKEA Furniture
Starting a DIY project is exciting—until you hit a roadblock and find yourself stuck with an unfinished project that feels overwhelming. Even “beginner-friendly” DIYs can turn out to be trickier than expected. The good news? With the right approach, you can successfully complete a home DIY project without frustration.
One great strategy is customizing pre-made furniture for an easy, high-impact transformation. Home decor YouTuber and author of Own Your Space, Alexandra Gater, is known for helping renters turn small spaces into stylish, functional homes. Her secret? Simple DIY hacks that make IKEA furniture look custom-made—and they’re easier than you’d think.
1. Upgrade Your Entryway Storage
Gater’s go-to IKEA piece for small spaces is the Hemnes shoe cabinet, a slim storage solution that holds plenty of shoes without taking up much room. She customizes it with three simple steps:
- Paint it: If the cabinet has a glossy finish, use a shellac-based primer before painting.
- Swap the hardware: Replace the standard black knobs with ones that match your decor style.
- Add a custom top: Instead of using the included top panel, swap it for a wooden board cut to the same dimensions. Sand, stain, and seal it before attaching it to the cabinet.
Since the Hemnes cabinet is designed to be mounted on the wall, secure it with screws and a drill. To give it a built-in look, Gater suggests adding trim or extra wood around the base to hide the legs.
2. Hide Pet Supplies in Style
Looking for a way to keep pet essentials out of sight? Gater transformed the IKEA Ivar cabinet into a stylish, hidden litter box for her cat, Lottie.
- She painted the untreated pine cabinet a muted blue-gray.
- To add texture, she cut arched shapes into the doors and attached cane webbing to the back with a staple gun.
- A coat of polyurethane sealed the inside of the cabinet, and she cut an entrance hole with a jigsaw so her cat could easily get in and out.
- For a finishing touch, she swapped out the standard IKEA legs for custom wooden ones and styled the top with books and dried florals.
“It’s the perfect way to hide a litter box and create extra storage for pet accessories,” Gater says.
3. Give Your Kitchen Cabinets a Facelift
For a high-impact transformation, Gater suggests replacing the fronts of IKEA kitchen cabinets. IKEA kitchens are popular for their durability and customizable design, making them an affordable alternative to a fully custom kitchen.
- Companies like Nieu Cabinet Doors sell stylish replacement fronts that fit IKEA cabinets perfectly.
- Swapping out the cabinet hardware—knobs, pulls, and handles—can instantly upgrade the look.
With these changes, you can achieve a high-end kitchen aesthetic without the custom price tag.
4. Customize Your Sofa for a Fresh New Look
Want to personalize your IKEA sofa or chair? Gater recommends using Bemz slipcovers, which come in a variety of colors and fabrics.
- “You can have that perfect pink velvet sofa on a budget,” she says. “And if your style changes, you can swap the slipcover for a whole new look.”
- To further customize the piece, switch out the standard sofa or chair legs for ones that match your decor. Pretty Pegs is her favorite source for stylish replacement legs.
With these simple hacks, you can take basic IKEA furniture and turn it into customized statement pieces—without the stress of a complicated DIY project.
